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Bledisloe 1: 29 July @ MCG

Tomthumb

Chilla Wilson (44)
The difference in potential between the two teams is vast. For starters I didn’t say everyone played well I said didn’t have a bad player. There is a big difference between not bad and played well.

On a given day the ABs could play worse and we could be better, hence margins and some lucky calls could see us pinch a game.
We lost by 32 points
 

drewprint

Alan Cameron (40)
We don't need a bigger body at 7 - Hooper's issue was mobility, Leota will have that exact same problem. There are arguments around Holloway/T.Hooper/Leota at 6, particularly given Holloway's lineout work, but our game plan requires a 7 that can get there and go again at pace - we're spending 60-70% of the game without the ball
Oh I’m not saying I agree - I’d like to see McReight etc - but it seems maybe it’s something Eddie is looking at given the Hooper 7 experiment.
 

Equalizer

Trevor Allan (34)
If you haven't worked it out I'm giving the Wallabies a hose because they sucked. They continue to fail to work out what is required.
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
Gees we looked cooked in the sheds at half time. It’s shown this half. Eddie is working them hard I assume for the RWC and this is just collateral damage.
It struck me that some, perhaps most, of the Wallabies were half cooked in the pre-match "warm up". WTF would you run the side half way into the ground in a warm up. Most of them had already played a game before the kick off. Eddie is confirming his absolute ignorance of the game.
 

KOB1987

John Eales (66)
I dunno. I really rate Hooper but I feel like Holloway is definitely better in contact at international level - at this point anyway. If Eddie wants a bigger body at 7 maybe Leota is worth considering.
I thought this was a logical change at half time but instead Hooper played the whole game and Holloway went off a bit later. It seemed Eddie had planned his changes regardless of how anyone was playing.
 

Namerican

Bill Watson (15)
If everyone played well in your eyes and we still lost 38-7, how the hell can we “beat a top team on our day” this was our day in your eyes as you clearly thing the whole team played great

They were far from clinical. Gordon's kicking was terrible. Overall you judge him as playing OK given it is his first test start and he had some great plays, but the kicking was a 1/10. That's not test level rugby.

The goal line try: not test rugby.

The stuffed mauls: not test rugby.

Scrum dominated: not test rugby.

Koriobete's yellow: not test rugby.

So to my mind the players were mostly OK for where they are at, but they aren't at a point similar to other squads like NZ, SA. They are playing 50 cap players at 10, not one super young guy and one super old guy. They don't have to play guys like Kerevi, Leota, Tupou, Quade who are JUST returning from injury, or Kellaway at 15 who hasn't played there super regularly.

So I think if you judge the players they mostly did well, considering, but Australian rugby does not have the depth to absorb injuries and doesn't have the depth to have test level players at key positions at all times (#10 for example: the ABs have three, basically in their prime, #10s - England has 3 world class #10s in their prime, Australia has zero).

And then to top it off your two props go down, you play a man down and the game turns into a proper shit show. The Wallabies need everything to go right in terms of personnel and bounce of the ball and they have had some horrific luck. To top it off you have a brand new coach and multiple players with minimal test rugby experience (Gordon, Hooper, Arnold).

So yeah I think the players played OK, the gameplan was OK, but they simply aren't good enough across the board and have had horrible luck with injuries.
 

Lorenzo

Colin Windon (37)
I thought Gordon looked alright. He gets rid of the ball quickly and I didn't see him involved in many missed tackles. Kicking out of hand looked ok to me though he did miss touch once (that I saw)

Not sure why there weren't taking points when 12-7 down or even 19-7 down. Take the 3, kick off deep and start again.

The ABs are on a different level with their ability to sustain pressure.

(I turned off at 19 - 7)
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Having had the love of rugby scoured from my body by the Wallabies and Waratahs I now consider myself an impartial observer. Here are my observations:

1. Thank god the Ashes are on. Actual entertainment.
2. The constant 'All Blacks' cries from the crowd have confirmed what I always suspected. Melbourne, being our second coldest and shittiest city (edit: sorry forgot about Hobart), is still better than living in New Zealand. I consider this a moral victory (yeah I'm stealing this from the cricket).
3. The All Blacks aren't even that good. They actually looked thoroughly pedestrian and I'd be surprised if they threaten this world cup.
4. Stroke of genius hiring Eddie. Never seen us play worse rugby. Even the worst of the worst Cheika team would've stuffed these fluffybunnys.

All you remaining Aussie fans can take consolation in the fact that if the All Blacks/NZ rugby actually are in any way reliant on Australian rugby to continue thriving they are laughably fucked.
 
Last edited:

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I thought Gordon looked alright. He gets rid of the ball quickly and I didn't see him involved in many missed tackles. Kicking out of hand looked ok to me though he did miss touch once (that I saw)

Not sure why there weren't taking points when 12-7 down or even 19-7 down. Take the 3, kick off deep and start again.

The ABs are on a different level with their ability to sustain pressure.

(I turned off at 19 - 7)
Because he can't kick.
 

Th0mo

Herbert Moran (7)
Bell & Valetini we’re excellent

Skelton strong and effective.

Quade offers nothing Carter doesn’t. Develop the kid.
2 yellow cards.
Both tight heads injured. Wallabies had no chance.

Gordan needs to start again. Needs to sort his kicking out though.
Am kind of thinking along these lines after the game. Not all doom and gloom except for the injuries at tight head. I think Gordon with White at half next game to do the restarts would ease some of the pressure on him.

Looking at the kiwis they went all in for this one, full strength line up, the special haka but first half score line flattered them. I think they were lucky with some of the calls especially on their maul defense. Will they get the benefit of such calls during a critical world cup game vs a European side? Tonight they looked a lot like the flawed flat track bullies of 2003 and 2007 waiting for a knock out game implosion.
 

Namerican

Bill Watson (15)
Having had the love of rugby scoured from my body by the Wallabies and Waratahs I now consider myself an impartial observer. Here are my observations:

1. Thank god the Ashes are on. Actual entertainment.
2. The constant 'All Blacks' cries from the crowd have confirmed what I always suspected. Melbourne, being our coldest and shittiest city, is still better than living in New Zealand. I consider this a moral victory (yeah I'm stealing this from the cricket).
3. The All Blacks aren't even that good. They actually looked thoroughly pedestrian and I'd be surprised if they threaten this world cup.
4. Stroke of genius hiring Eddie. Never seen us play worse rugby. Even the worst of the worst Cheika team would've stuffed these fluffybunnys.

We can all take consolation in the fact that if NZ actually are in any way reliant on Australian rugby to continue thriving they are laughably fucked.

You wonder what the NZ strategy is if Australia is complete shite. Play a million games against their own Super Rugby teams and maybe the Fijian drua? How much appeal will that have to fans of Super Rugby in NZ? And will it prepare their players for test rugby? Join a Japanese league and beat the tar out of those teams?
 
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